The premier F-22 had been partially disassembled for its trip to Edwards. After its reassembly, it underwent a series of system functional checks. Following its system functional tests, Raptor 01 performed a series of high-speed taxi tests, again to make sure that its nose wheel steering, brakes, flying surfaces, and so on worked properly. They did and the aircraft was cleared for flight. On May 17,1998, nearly a 35 36 F-22 RAPTOR year after its public debut in Marietta, Georgia, Raptor 01 made a successful third flight— its first at Edwards AFB.

Once at that altitude, Metz leveled off and then cycled the F119s through a series of power changes. The engine afterburners were not used during the aircraft's initial flight, during which a maximum angle of attack of 14° was attained. About midway through the near 1-hour-long test hop, Metz raised the landing gear and increased the Raptor's altitude to 20,000 ft, the maximum altitude for the flight. At 20,000 ft, he performed additional engine transients and evaluated low-speed cruise performance 30 F-22 RAPTOR As a Lockheed Martin flight line technician guides it ahead, the awesome size of the Raptor becomes obvious.

The YF-22A's nose landing gear retracted aft while the F-22A's retracts forward. ) This is another view of the YF119-powered YF-22A, with its landing gear now retracted, near Edwards AFB, in late 1991. 6-hour flight. Originally owned by Lockheed and marked with civilian registration number N22YX, it was remarked with USAF serial no. 87-0701 after it was purchased by the USAF. ) Although the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engine does not appear very complicated in this phantom view, it is an extremely advanced propulsion unit.